Chapter 701 The spirit of craftsmanship helps me!

The temperature of the central air conditioner in the office was very low, but Bill Ford was sweating profusely on his head, and the air around him seemed to freeze. If it wasn't for Li Weidong shaking the whisky in the glass, it brought a touch of vitality to the room. Time seemed to stand still.

Bill Ford's expression was extremely unnatural. He still couldn't believe that the contents of the investigation report were true, but he also knew that, as Li Weidong, there was no need to deceive himself on such an important matter.

The investigation report provided by Li Weidong to Ford is the test report of Takata's death airbag. Many of the key data have been deliberately smeared out, but the leaked content has shocked Bill Ford.

The incident of Takata's death airbag can really be regarded as a nuclear bomb-level shock to the auto industry all over the world.

Japan Takata Co., Ltd. was established in 1933. It is a textile giant in Japan. Later, it entered the seat belt market. In the mid-1980s, it began to deal with airbag products, and soon became the world's second largest auto airbag manufacturer, second only to Sweden's Autoliv.

All over the world, all well-known car manufacturers are customers of Takata airbags, even the supercar brand like Ferrari. Almost 100% of Japanese auto companies use Takata airbags.

However, in 2014, the Takata airbag exposed a safety problem. When the airbag was deployed, it would burst metal fragments, posing a safety threat to the front passenger, which would be directly fatal. The airbags that were originally designed to protect the lives of passengers have become death airbags.

Takata also went bankrupt because of the death airbag incident.

The impact of Takata's death airbag will continue until the end of 2021. The U.S. Highway Safety Administration is still investigating the Takata airbag incident, and it is said that there are more than 30 million vehicles to be recalled.

According to later records, the safety problem of Takata airbags began in a traffic accident in 2009. An American driver drove a Honda Accord and collided with another car. After the airbag was deployed, metal fragments popped out and slashed the driver. carotid artery, resulting in the death of the driver.

Because of the accident, Honda has conducted a small recall, recalling 4,000 Accords and Civics in the U.S. market.

It is worth mentioning that this batch of recalled vehicles was produced in 2000, which means that the safety problem of Takata airbags existed as early as 2000. Therefore, the number of casualties caused by the Takata airbag problem is definitely more than the number of later investigations.

When Takata entered the field of automotive airbags, it was the heyday of Japanese companies. At that time, Takata directly purchased rocket engine technology and used airbags to promote research and development, and Takata also developed and produced airbag propellants by itself, including the entire airbag production chain.

However, it is precisely because of the propellant developed by Takata that Takata airbags became death airbags.

In order to reduce costs and obtain maximum benefits, Takata has added ammonium nitrate to the airbag propellant. This material is relatively cheap, but its performance is unstable. It is easy to fuse with moisture in the air under high temperature conditions, resulting in rapid expansion and explosion. .

The explosion will cause the entire airbag system to rupture abnormally, causing the parts of the airbag to fly out, causing injury to the driver and passengers in the car.

Of course, Takata is aware of this problem. After all, when designing an airbag, it has to go through many designs. However, when Takata discovered the problem, it did not choose to improve it, but tampered with the test data of the airbag in the spirit of Japanese craftsmen.

At that time, people still believed in Japan's artisan spirit, and they did not think that the Japanese would fake it. Instead, many car companies thought that the price of Takata airbags was cheap.

start to use it on a large scale.

Paper can't keep fire, not to mention that this is a matter of human life. Later, the explosion of Takata's death airbag incident directly caused the largest car recall in history.

Major car companies suffered heavy losses, especially Japanese brands, which used Takata airbags on a large scale, and the losses were even more serious. Honda, which was the most affected, saw its sales in the North American market cut in half.

For the auto industry, Takata's death airbag is definitely a nuclear bomb, and now Li Weidong has handed this nuclear bomb to Ford.

Bill Ford's head was temporarily short-circuited, and he obviously did not expect that the world's second-largest Takata air bag would have such a fatal problem.

Li Weidong interrupted Bill Ford's thoughts: Mr. Ford, I have seen the car sales in the North American market in the past two years. Now Ford's biggest competitors should be Japan's Toyota and Honda, right?

Most of Toyota and Honda cars use Takata airbags. If the problem of Takata airbags is exposed by the media, the reputation of Japanese brands will inevitably be seriously affected.

Moreover, such a defect that can cause death will inevitably lead to a large-scale recall. At that time, Ford can easily seize the market, and maybe there is a chance to defeat the Japanese brand in one fell swoop.

Of course, as far as I know, Takata airbags are not only used by Japanese brands, German brands, French brands, Italian brands, and even the three major car companies in the United States also use Takata airbags, including your company, right?

Therefore, the matter of Takata airbags can not only hit Japanese brands, but also other brands. If this weapon is used properly, Ford will gain a great advantage in future global competition.

Mr. Ford, for your company, this opportunity to undercut a competitor is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and you don't know how long it will take for your opponent to make the next mistake. Do you think this 'surprise' is worth $500 million?

Bill Ford took a deep breath. If he could turn over the Japanese duo, $500 million would be a great value.

Li Weidong went on to say: With US$1.5 billion, plus this survey report, I think the actual value should be much higher than the US$2 billion quoted by the Indians? I just don't know if Ford has made my offer. interested?

Mr. Lee, I need some time to think about it, Bill Ford said immediately.

Li Weidong nodded: Yes, but I hope it won't be too long. I think the contents of this report should also be of interest to General Motors.

Mr. Li, I understand what you mean, and I will give you an answer as soon as possible. Bill Ford said immediately.

After seeing off Li Weidong, Bill Ford stood in front of the window, looking at the distant scenery, and fell into contemplation.

As Li Weidong said, now Ford's competitors are not the other two major automakers in the United States, nor Volkswagen, Dailem-Renault and Fiat in Europe, but the Japanese duo Toyota and Honda.

Not only Ford, but other brands such as GM, Volkswagen, Renault, etc., the biggest competitor is also the Japanese duo.

After decades of development, Toyota has become the leader of the world's auto industry, and Honda has also ranked among the top five in the world.

Precise to a single car model, in the U.S. market, the top-selling vehicle at the time was naturally the Ford F pickup, followed by the Chevrolet Silverado pickup and the Dodge RAM pickup.

The typical American lifestyle is inseparable from pickups, so the sales of the three major pickups are unshakable in the United States.

Under the three pickups, the four best-selling vehicles are Toyota Corolla, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Honda Civic. The sales of these four cars are not much different from those of the three major pickups.

In terms of SUVs, Honda's CRV is the best-selling vehicle, followed by Toyota's RAV4 and Highlander.

That is to say, whether it is a B-class car, C-class car, or SUV, American cars have been beaten by Japanese cars. The three major U.S. automakers, in their own country, can only cover their shame with pickups.

Compared to American brands, the situation is much better for European brands.

Volkswagen of Germany remained unmoved in the face of the impact of Japanese cars. France's Renault and Logo, Italy's Fiat, these brands that have disappeared in the Chinese market, but their sales in Europe are booming.

In terms of luxury brands, Japanese cars are not as good as European cars, and the two are completely incomparable.

The effect of Japanese car brands in Europe is indeed very poor. In the European market, South Korea's Hyundai is better than Japanese companies.

However, with the big market in the United States, it is enough for Japanese brands to eat and drink spicy food.

Ford naturally wants to drive away Japanese cars, but whether Toyota or Honda, they have already set up factories in the United States, and they are also made in the United States. The market can only be gradually eroded.

Now, with the opportunity of Takata airbags, it is definitely an excellent time for Ford to launch an attack on Japanese cars.

What's more, it is not only Japanese cars that use Takata airbags, but other car brands are also using them. Ford can also take a look at other brands by the way.

Suddenly, Bill Ford remembered that Ford also seemed to be a partner of Takata Airbags.

So Bill Ford immediately picked up the phone and dialed a number: Count the few cars in our company that use Takata airbags, arrange them and send them to me immediately!

Soon, an e-mail appeared in Bill Ford's e-mail box.

Looking at the contents of the email, Bill Ford let out a sigh of relief. Ford's products, only the Ford Mondeo produced after 2006, and the Ford GT and Ford Mustang use Takata airbags, while the latter two belong to performance sports cars.

The sales of Ford Mondeo in the United States are not good. The reason is that the price is 3,000 dollars more expensive than that of Camry. In the American market, those who have money will not look down on Mondeo, and those who have no money will definitely buy Camry, which is a relatively embarrassing position.

Ford GT is a supercar, but it was the existence of Ferrari on the Le Mans track. Its sales volume is not high, so it is not necessary to discuss it.

The Ford Mustang, along with the Chevrolet Camaro and the Dodge Challenger, is also known as the three major civilian sports cars in the United States. It is the representative of the American muscle sports car and is also an enduring presence in the American market.

There was a second generation of Russian gangsters who killed a dog for a 1969 Ford Mustang, and he was slaughtered. The father of the second generation of the gangster wants to avenge his son, and the entire gangster becomes a Barbie Ball.

It is worth mentioning that, in addition to the Ford Mustang, the other two popular sports cars, the Chevrolet Camaro and the Dodge Challenger, also use Takata airbags.

Takata airbags are rarely used in Ford, and perhaps this is the reason why the price of Ford cars is relatively high, which reduces the competitiveness of Ford cars.

However, according to later investigations, many luxury cars and even sports cars are also using Takata airbags.

For example, many models of Audi A6 and Q5, BMW 3 Series, 5 Series and X5, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, GL-Class, Land Rover Range Rover, Ferrari and McLaren used Takata airbags at that time.

If it is a cheap car, in order to save costs, it is enough to use Takata airbags. Luxury cars and even supercars are also greedy for this cheap, which is somewhat unreasonable. A Ferrari is millions of dollars, so is it necessary to save money on airbags?

...

Bill Ford finally agreed to Li Weidong's offer.

Anyway, Ford does not have the Takata airbags used in several cars. Even if it is recalled, it will not cost much, and Ford can afford it.

Other brands use Takata airbags more, and the injuries are definitely greater, especially Japanese brands, almost all models are using Takata airbags, if the recall, I am afraid that tens of millions of cars will be involved.

At that time, Ford made the Takata airbag public, and then took the lead in announcing the recall. It didn't cost much, and it could also establish an image of a conscientious company in the minds of consumers.

On the other hand, Japanese brands, tens of millions of cars, have you tried recalling them? Even if they are willing to spend the money on this recall, the time cost involved is unbearable for companies and consumers, and Japanese cars will inevitably lose a large part of consumers.

Once Japanese cars do not choose to recall, or the recall is slow, it will inevitably affect the brand image of Japanese cars. Comparing it with Ford, Ford is bound to regain a large market from Japanese cars.

This is like a mobile phone of a certain brand, after an explosion accident, it was recalled in other countries' markets, but it was not recalled in the Chinese market. Abandoned, from the original sales king, it will be cool directly.

Bill Ford also played the same abacus.

If the Japanese car chooses to recall, then it will definitely lose money and reputation; if it is not recalled, it will be better, and don't expect to gain a foothold in the American market in the future!

...

The news of Tata's bid of 2 billion to acquire Jaguar Land Rover has spread in India.

Indians are starting to boil again, especially on the Internet, and the voice of self-healing is massacred again.

This is also an old rule. Before writing the eight characters, I have already started to celebrate winning the calligraphy competition.

And because of this acquisition, Tata Group has been praised by the Indians.

In the minds of Indians, the status of Tata Group can be said to be sacred. It is no exaggeration to say that Tata Group’s status in India is even stronger than that of Samsung in South Korea.

Koreans cannot live without Samsung, and Tata Group in India is no different, from heavy industry to light industry, from real estate to supermarkets, from transportation to electricity, whether it is industrial production, clothing, food, housing, communication networks, or basic livelihood of the people. If necessary, Tata Group is involved.

Such a behemoth, which controls many core civilian production industries, but is in private hands, may not be a good thing for the country.

However, Indians are proud of this, as if Tata Group monopolizes more industries in India, which is a thing to boast about. The Tata boss has made money, and ordinary Indians can follow him for days, happier than they are making money themselves.

Such is the nature of Indians. If an Indian goes to a foreign company to get a good position, all Indians will feel that their faces are bright, but they have not considered that this is a brain drain from the country.

Perhaps from the daily red, green and green dress of Indians, they can understand that they care more about the opinions of outsiders, rather than how many brushes they have.

The same is true for Tata's acquisition of Jaguar Land Rover this time around. A group of Indian netizens who can't even afford car tires are even more hilarious than Ratan-Tata, the real owner who paid for it.

At this time, at the Tata Group headquarters, Ratan-Tata also received a reply from Ford.

What? Ford has decided against it! We made an offer of two billion dollars! Could it be that two billion dollars can't satisfy the greedy appetite of Americans!

Anger flashed across Ratan-Tata's face. In his opinion, the offer of 2 billion is almost certain, but he did not expect to be rejected by Ford.

Mr. President, Ford replied to us that they have accepted the Chinese offer and decided to sell Jaguar Land Rover to the Chinese, his subordinate said.

How much did the Chinese pay? Is it more than us? Ratan-Tata had an incredible expression on his face.

Ford said that the specific amount will be announced later. The subordinate continued.

Ratan-Tata snorted coldly, waved his subordinates out, and sat in the room sulking.

Tata Corporation entered the automobile manufacturing industry in 1998. Although ten years have passed, Tata can still only produce light cars, which is not much bigger than Old Man Le.

Indians lack the car-making technology and supporting industrial chain, and the Indian government is reluctant to open up its own market. They have set up more obstacles for foreign investors, just thinking about making money from foreigners and not letting foreigners Man earns Indian money.

So for decades, only the Japanese Suzuki was able to take root in India. Mainly because Suzuki is a light vehicle, which is suitable for the needs of the Indian market.

The way the Indians build cars behind closed doors can never have a developed auto industry, so Tata Group hopes to improve its technical level and the brand awareness of Tata Motors by acquiring well-known foreign brands.

Jaguar Land Rover is clearly a good choice. It is a luxury brand in itself, and it comes from the colonial home country of the United Kingdom. While improving the technical level of Tata, it can also maximize the prestige of the Tata Group.

That's why Tata Group was willing to make a huge investment of US$2 billion, but Li Weidong didn't expect it to be cut off.

...

In a street cafe in India, Vaish, a young man, was browsing the web.

On Yahoo News' website, a headline caught Vaish's attention.

Ford sold Jaguar Land Rover for US$1.5 billion? Didn't it say that it was acquired for US$2 billion? How did it become an acquisition of US$1.5 billion? As expected of the Tata Group, even the Americans have to surrender to the Tata Group and make profits. Five hundred million dollars! Vaish said to himself.

In a Chinese way of thinking, I give a discount to the guests, hoping that the guests can come to spend again in the future.

The thinking of Indians is bizarre enough. I give you a discount, which means that I am afraid of you and surrender to you.

Then Vaish began to read the content of the news.

Ford sold Jaguar Land Rover to a Chinese consortium for $1.5 billion! What? Not Tata Group? Jaguar Land Rover was bought by the Chinese! Fake news, this must be fake news!

While cursing, Vaish continued to read the news, and then saw a very slap in the face.

It is understood that India's Tata Group once offered $2 billion, but from the perspective of corporate strategy, Ford still accepted the offer of $1.5 billion from a Chinese consortium. Haha, 2 billion is not sold, but 1.5 billion is sold. All kinds of lies can be made up! This fake news is too low-level.

As Vaish said that, he opened the search engine and began to search for relevant content.

However, the results of the search are that Ford sold Jaguar Land Rover to a Chinese consortium for a price of 1.5 billion. Even when Wikipedia searched for Jaguar Land Rover, the entry indicated this.

Although Wikipedia can be edited by anyone, with the IQ of Indians, it is still believed to be Wikipedia.

At this time, Vaish was finally a little flustered, and the little bit of national self-confidence that he had generated when he was hyped a few days ago was gone!

Why! I'd rather sell 1.5 billion to the Chinese than 20 to us. Do you think our money stinks!

...

On the Yahoo forum, the Indian netizens who were still massaging Hipi the other day disappeared overnight.

American netizens began to vent their unhappiness. After all, when visiting forums these days, the screen is full of India's superpower, India's Nanbo Gulf.

It's fine if you say this elsewhere. In front of the Americans, claiming to be a superpower and claiming to be the Nanbo Gulf, how can the Americans stand it!

So American netizens started posting posts mocking Indian netizens:

We would rather sell Jaguar Land Rover 1.5 billion to the Chinese than to some superpower!

Where's the superpower? Where's the Nanbo Bay? What about the world's largest automobile manufacturing country? It's gone?

Didn't you say that the auto industry will surpass the United States, Germany and Japan? You are!

Don't think about building cars in India, let's build toilets first!

When it comes to toilets, it hits the pain point of Indians again.

It was the British who stole $45 trillion from India!

It was Nehru's incompetence, Nehru's corruption, and delaying India's development.

If it weren't for the Gandhi family, India would have been a superpower thirty years ago!

The classic dumping has started again...

Please remember this book's first domain name: . Mobile version URL: